Here are 7 reasons why you should not buy a rooftop tent

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Rooftop tents (RTTs) are the darlings of the overlanding world right now. It seems nothing gives you more social media cred than showing off a new rooftop tent on your latest epic, off-grid camping expedition (bonus points if it&#;s captured with drone footage).

It&#;s no surprise that Instagram and YouTube are full of rooftop tent videos. That&#;s all with good reason: They&#;re versatile, comfortable to sleep in, and look damn cool to boot. Plus, they provide most ordinary street vehicles with ultralight travel trailer-esque utility without the sky-high price tag of actually buying an RV. But, there are downsides, especially for softshell rooftop tents. Some are obvious, and some are not so obvious, especially for first-time buyers.

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If you&#;re shopping for rooftop tents right now, you no doubt know all the advantages. You don&#;t need us to convince you to buy one. Before you drop $3,000 on the best rooftop tent you can find, however, consider the downsides, too. We&#;re not trying to talk you out of buying one and buying a car tent instead, but it&#;s worth understanding what you&#;re getting into.

What is a rooftop tent?

Before we get into the reasons to not purchase a rooftop tent, let&#;s clear up exactly what a rooftop tent is.

An RTT is a portable shelter that mounts to the roof of a vehicle. It&#;s a type of elevated camping tent that keeps you off the ground. They are typically made of durable materials that can withstand harsh weather conditions. Rooftop tents often come with built-in mattresses, which makes them more comfortable than ground tents. They are easy to set up and take down and don&#;t take up any space inside the vehicle. On the other hand, a car tent is a portable shelter that attaches to the back of the vehicle. It&#;s a non-elevated camping tent, which can be less convenient than a rooftop tent.

Rooftop tents are expensive

If you already own or are shopping for a rooftop tent, you&#;re aware of the most obvious drawback: the price. Rooftop tents are expensive. Some of the best camping tents on the market cost less than $400, while halfway-decent, entry-level rooftop tents start north of a thousand dollars. For upgraded models that are lightweight, made with better materials, and boast integrated features like LED lighting, solar panels, and heated back massagers, that price balloons quickly to several thousand dollars or more.

Plus, pickup owners will likely need to purchase a special rack to mount a new RTT in the bed of their truck. Some car and SUV owners may also need to buy a roof rack or additional hardware to mount a new RTT to their vehicles. That&#;s an additional cost on top of the tent itself. It all adds up fast.

They &#;trap&#; you

This might be the best reason not to buy a rooftop tent, and the one most prospective buyers overlook. Camping or overlanding with an RTT means that your shelter and transportation are one and the same. Once you make camp and set up your tent, you can&#;t explore the surrounding area with your vehicle without breaking it all down first and resetting it up later.

That might not seem like a big deal, especially with many RTT owners on social media highlighting their (completely unrealistic) sub-60-second breakdowns. In reality, many of the best rooftop tents take ten to 20 minutes or more to break down completely and another ten to 20 minutes to set up again. Depending on your exploration style, this can easily waste an hour or two every day.

Rooftop tents are surprisingly loud

If you&#;re a light sleeper, know that sleeping in a softshell rooftop tent can be loud &#; like, very loud. It&#;s not surprising since they&#;re elevated off the ground by design and made of a complex web of overlapping fabric. Wind buffeting, especially in high-wind areas, can cause that fabric and rainfly to flap violently to the point of being downright deafening. For most of us who escape into the backcountry for peace and quiet, that fact alone can be a deal breaker.

They require level ground

Unless you&#;re a bat or a tree sloth, you probably enjoy sleeping in a reasonably level position. Leveling a ground tent is easy. Before pitching, just move it around in the dirt and lie down to check for level. But leveling a rooftop tent means leveling your entire vehicle, which often requires leveling blocks (or at least a decent-sized rock or two), a bubble level (if you want to save yourself some serious headaches), and potentially driving and reversing for a while every time you make camp. It&#;s not difficult, but trust us, it is tedious.

They don&#;t come off

More specifically: They won&#;t come off. Technically, they&#;re not permanent. But most models weigh between 100 to 200 pounds. Add to that they&#;re clunky and cumbersome, which means you&#;ll almost certainly need a friend or two to help with the uninstall. Realistically, once you install yours, you&#;re unlikely ever to take it off, even when you don&#;t need it. It&#;s more convenient and back-saving to leave it on all the time. That leads to the next point.

Rooftop tents kill your gas mileage

No matter how lightweight or streamlined the RTT is, your gas mileage will take a hit after installing one. It&#;s simple physics. Your vehicle will be less aerodynamic, especially on the highway, and forced to move more weight than usual. From a gas mileage perspective, it&#;s like having an additional adult passenger in your car at all times. Losing a couple of miles per gallon might not seem like much but for gas-hungry trucks and SUVs, even a minor hit to fuel efficiency stings at the gas pump.

They don&#;t actually protect you from critters

One apparent benefit of rooftop tents over traditional camping tents is being elevated off the ground and away from critters. Realistically, anything that crawls on the ground has no problem climbing the side of your vehicle and onto &#; or into &#; your tent. Depending on where you&#;re camping, that can include spiders, ants, mice, squirrels, wolverines, and most certainly, bears. It might feel more secure than a typical tent. In reality, it&#;s not.

With all of this said, we don&#;t hate rooftop tents. They&#;re awesome for the right style of camper with the right discretionary income. But if you&#;re considering buying one, don&#;t rely solely on overlanding influencers for your research. It&#;s just not as simple as they make it look.

What is a rooftop tent?

A rooftop tent is literally what the name says. A tent that can be attached to the roof or the top of your vehicle, and this includes 4WD, SUV, a van or even a trailer.  A rooftop tent is perfect for campers who love to travel, music festival goers or for an afternoon nap on the side of the beach. They are quick and easy to set up, making them ideal to set up camp pretty much anywhere, and their robust build provides durability against any harsh weather or elements of nature.

 Kwiky MKII Kings Hard Shell Roof Top tent

The post-covid times made everyone eager to go outdoors, and the demand for rooftop tents skyrocketed to record-breaking heights. With so many choices and things to consider, there has never been a better time to choose what&#;s right for you. We will look at some benefits and of course some disadvantages of having a rooftop tent. Considering specific factors, we&#;ll also look at some of the best rooftop tents in .

Things to consider when buying a rooftop tent

• Hard or soft-shell top
• Size &#; Sleeping area and head height
• Weight
• Vehicle and rack compatibility
• Weatherproof and ventilation
• Closed size
• Mattress
• Annexes and awnings
• Extra features and accessories
• Costs

Are you interested in learning more about Awning Roof Top Tent? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!

Great view through the door/ window. It is all about where you park it!

Benefits

Rooftop tents are a great way to get the most out of your outdoor adventures, without worrying too much about your family&#;s or your own safety. Here are some benefits of having a rooftop tent.

• Easy to set up/ convenient
  • Rooftop tents are very easy to set up, most will only take less than five minutes or a lot quicker than your conventional ground tents. By utilising gas struts, most rooftop tents can be easily set and packed away in a matter of minutes.

• Be elevated away from danger
  • Safety/View
    • The safety of a rooftop tent is one thing you can be sure about. Being elevated from the ground gives you that peace of mind that you can sleep properly at night, away from creepy crawlies, unexpected floods, or high tides. While you&#;re safe above the ground, you can be sure to enjoy a beautiful view from up high.

• Be comfortable
  • The comfort of rooftop tents is unmatched. All rooftop tents provide a soft mattress and adequate space to traditional ground tents, not only that, rooftop tents, provide comfort in inclement weather, such as rain or winds. Speaking of inclement, rooftop tents offer 100% protection from rain, and their rigid structure will surely go against some strong winds.

• It&#;s mobile
  • The lightweight and rigid design of rooftop tents make it somewhat easy to bolt on vehicles and be stable to bring on any rugged terrain you want to go.

• Costs
  • Although buying a rooftop tent can be somewhat pricey, the costs, in the long run, will save you a lot of money. With the price of a rooftop tent, you can&#;t compare with the advantages of sleeping on a traditional tent on the ground or booking an expensive hotel room.

Disadvantages of rooftop tents

• Weight capacity
  • Rooftop tents weigh roughly between 50kg-100kg, and the weight raises your vehicle's centre of gravity. This can make the vehicle more unbalanced when you turn sharp corners, or travel at high speeds, which can be quite dangerous. Heavier vehicles also have greater inertia and wind resistance, and they both contribute to increased fuel consumption.

• Height restriction

Rooftop tent gives extra height to the vehicle and this restricts certain accesses such as shopping centre undercover carparks, maccas drive-through or even your own garage. It is wise to check heigh limits of places you go before marching into the building structure and facing disastrous damages.

• Mounting to Vehicle/ Fitting requirements
  • Before you&#;re thinking of buying a rooftop tent, make sure you have a strong and durable roof rack or secure platform that will hold the rooftop in place. Mind you, most rooftop tents come with the standard bolts and nuts to secure the rooftop tent. However, you can go beyond and satisfy your peace of mind to get special brackets and roof mounting kits.
  • Mounting a rooftop tent can be a bit of a hassle, considering the weight of the rooftop, you&#;ll need at least two or more people to lift it onto your vehicle and on the roof racks, and while it&#;s there you&#;ll need to move it into a position where its levelled.

• Takes up space/ Movement

Whether you&#;re travelling or at home, rooftop tents can be quite the headache when they are mounted on your vehicle. If you&#;re out in the wilderness and need to go collect some firewood for camp or go for a quick drive, you&#;ll need to fold away your rooftop every time. To add to the frustration, it takes up your roof-rack space, where you&#;d normally load a couple of jerry cans and eskies.

While you&#;re at home, this can cause headaches as well, whether you decide to leave the rooftop tent on your vehicle or at home. Leaving your rooftop mounted on your vehicle and using your vehicle as a daily driver is not ideal, due to accessibility issues and fuel consumption. In contrast, leaving your rooftop laying around at home, can take up space and be dangerous, mounting it on the wall or high above can be the best option.

Top 5 Best Rooftop tents in Australia

*Prices can be varied

• Adventure Kings Roof Top Tent
  • Best Affordable rooftop tent ($900)
  • Spacious
  • Comes with all the basics you need
  • Lightweight (57kgs)
  • Value for money

https://au.adventurekings.com/adventure-kings-roof-top-tent.html

• Adventure Kings Grand Tourer MKII Aluminium Rooftop tent
  • Best Hardtop shell
  • Super spacious
  • Quick set-up (30sec)
  • Comfortable sleep
  • Pricey ($)
  • Great features
  • Weight (94kgs)

https://au.adventurekings.com/adventure-kings-grand-tourer-roof-top-tent-x-adventure-kings-premium-winter-summer-sleeping-bag-5-c-to-5-c.html

• Darche Intrepidor Roof Top Tent
  • Lightest rooftop tent weight (51kgs)
  • Spacious
  • Great features
  • 180-degree zippered mesh windows
  • PU waterproof rating
  • Price ($)

https://darche.com.au/intrepidor-3--tourer

• XTM Roof Tent
  • Super Spacious
  • Great features
  • 75mm thick high-quality mattress
  • Price ($)

https://www.bcf.com.au/p/xtm-rooftop-tent/.html?srsltid=Ad5pg_FDOK9qoBgiIIrmadOJH80iShaaJQPBy44gDIPE0JtB98ZYWjStLVI

• Kwiky MKII Kings Hard Shell Roof Top tent
  • Hard Top shell for overhead protection
  • Quick and easy to set up
  • Value for money ($)
  • This was our pick! It was our accommodation for 3 weeks touring around QLD.

https://www.4wdsupacentre.com.au/kings-kwiky-mkii-hard-shell-rooftop-tent-improved-internal-bracing-2min-setup-100-waterproof-50mm-mattress.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjw2cWgBhDYARIsALggUhqDJpFpLT-QnRYvq9lb6UYvVpihWzC26-zrSWgicXz7xavgKgBMZkUaAlxMEALw_wcB

For more information, please visit canvas roof top tent.